Trompement
by Lilies4Lilith
Summary: The riskiest part of deception is to fall prey to it yourself. A somewhat AU one-shot of the tragic romance between Juri and Shiori.


Disclaimer: I don't own Utena (because if I did, there would be a lot more Shiori and Juri plot)

"Halt! Arisugawa! Five to one!" the director shouted whilst raising his arm in the direction of the fencer wearing an intriguing orange and white uniform. And at this particular announcement, the two fencers retreated to an upright posture, their gloved hands reaching to remove their stifling masks.

"Ah, even when using your left hand you are an excellent fencer, Juri-san," stated the opposing fencer, his voice revealing both mild irritation in his loss and admiration for the other fencer. Once freed from the mask that concealed his handsome visage, the boy habitually pushed back the sweaty, azure bangs that clung to his face. Surrounding the strip was a vast crowd composed of mainly girls who were squealing and swooning over the sight of Ohtori's cutest and kindest fencer. Embarrassed, he gave a modest smile and waved to his fans before turning back to his opponent.

"Though I must say you had an advantage, since I've rarely battle against a left-handed fencer."

"Thank you, Miki," said the fencer in orange, the voice was polite, but haughty. And once her mask was removed, an even louder cry roared from the audience. Free from their captivity, coiled orange locks cascaded down the victor's face like a majestic waterfall. "Always expect the unexpected. There aren't that many, but either way you must learn to defend yourself against all kinds of fencers. It would be unfair for us to ask a left-handed to fence right-handed, now wouldn't it?"

The boy named Miki gave an understanding smile and saluted his sword to his captain to signify the end of the match. In spite of his age, Miki's skills were improving at an incredible speed; Juri would have to train equally as hard in discovering new techniques and strategies if she wanted to ensure that there was no one who would threaten her title as captain.

"Juri-senpai, Juri-senpai! There has been a casualty!" cried a fellow fencer from the team. Alerted by the comment, Juri gave a nod of acknowledgement and followed the girl to where the injured person was. And as soon as the beautiful captain took off, so trailed the large crowd, who all whispered curiously about what happened.

The Fencing Club was held in a large empty gymnasium that was similar in size to two basket ball courts. The floor was composed of wood, which would be polished weekly by the Fencing Team to guarantee that their practicing area would remain clean and pristine. Glossy black paint was used to mark off each section of the various parts of the strip where the fencers would duel each other. There were a grand total of thirteen strips, but it was the strip closest to the entrance of the room that held the most attention. Known as "Number One," it was the area, where only the top fencers of the club were allowed to practice. In fact, the strips were set up to correspond to each club member's ability. The closer one was to Number One, the better their ranking on the team. Thus, the newer and weaker club members were towards the back where they would be hidden from the occasional spectators. Whoever was injured must have been located on one of the lower ranking strips.

Upon approaching the wounded individual, Juri thought in her head what the possibility of an injury severe enough to bother the captain could be. Fencing, despite the thrusting or slashing of the weapons, was a relatively safe sport and the only cause of an injury would be to the inappropriate wearing or usage of the fencing gear.

"Juri-san," the girl looked up weakly from her sitting position, she was clutching her right calf. There was a familiar tone of helplessness to the voice. Juri's heart lurched for a moment before once again stabilizing. _Of course it would be her._

"Takatsuki-san, you're bleeding…" Juri noted, her eyes observing the red stain on the leg of the pure white fencing uniform.

"Senpai, I swear I didn't mean to, I didn't even… I…" the girl who had been the injured girl's fencing partner attempted to justify herself. She had just scored a point by lunging and successfully landing a hit against her opponent's leg. The other girl left her foot so open that it was only natural for her to have aimed for the area. And when she lunged for the target, she never suspected that her opponent would suddenly move forward, so that she would stab the calf instead of the intended foot. Still, for epee any part of the body was a viable target. How was she to know that she would end up causing the girl to suddenly gasp, drop her épée, and collapse to the floor?

"Silence," Juri looked knowingly into Takatsuki Shiori's purple orbs, which seemed to prove who was truly at fault for the wound. Kneeling down, she briefly touched the girl's leg, which elicited a pained whimper from the purple haired girl. The audience began to encircle them and Juri knew that all the unnecessary attention was just going to exacerbate the problem.

"Miki," she firmly commanded to her vice-captain. She was going to have to deal with this issue in private.

"Yes, Juri-san?"

"The épée used in this particular match has a broken tip and needs to be properly discarded," and like a prince helping his beloved, dainty damsel, Juri lifted the injured girl from the wooden floor into her arms. Immediately, the room was filled with jealous stares and exaggerated gasps of shock.

"The club is to be under your control until my return," she continued as she walked down the large gymnasium, her arms never once wavering from the other girl's weight. Before leaving though, she turned one last time to the mass of people that seemed eager to know what was going to happen next.

"No one is to follow me," the words of the beautiful leopard were so gravely delivered that no one dared to disobey.

Juri would take them away to somewhere safe. Today's main entertainment was over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Concealed in the Volleyball Club's changing room, Juri seated Takatsuki on the table that usually supplied fresh towels for when the Volleyball Club was done practicing. It was at the moment empty and would provide an ample amount of elevation for Juri to inspect the injury. Carefully, Juri rolled up the white fencing pant leg until it settled right below the purple haired girl's knee. Before she even reached the area that was bleeding, Juri was met with various cuts, healing and scarred, that decorated the girl's pale flesh. Finally, when she saw the wound that was to be addressed, she saw that it was a large slash down the inner side of the calf. Annoyed, she pulled a clean handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it to stop the bleeding.

"Ow!" a delicate voice cried out, Takatsuki attempted to pull away as Juri applied more pressure, but the captain was determined to maintain her hold on the girl's leg.

"If you knew you were going to make these self-inflicted injuries, then you should stop squealing. Of course it's going to hurt," Juri stated with obvious irritation. There was a moment of silence between the two as Juri went to the bathroom to retrieve a clean towel and doused it with water as to clean the blood away. The fierce fencing leader was grateful for the temporary silence.

"So you knew?" Takatsuki asked tentatively, finally breaking the deafening silence.

"You might have been able to trick the more inexperience fencers like your partner, but the more experienced would've known that it is highly unlikely to create a cut wound when one is properly wearing their armor and using a stabbing weapon," Juri said, her voice strict.

"Oh," she looked at the self-inflicted slash across her calf; it was one that she had done earlier today along with another five or six in different areas around her right leg. Her plan for today was simple. All she had to do was to make shallow cuts on her leg earlier this morning, so that by later afternoon when the Fencing Club practiced they would have already somewhat healed. Then, she would need to duel a person who would easily recognize how openly Shiori left her foot as target. And once the opportunity was set, she would move her leg forward as though to also lunge and allow the girl to hit her calf instead. No matter where the other tip hit, it was sure to aggravate and tear open the wounds she made earlier today. Shiori also knew where the broken epees were, the ones that had broken tips and thus became a much more dangerous sword to use during fencing. All this to gain the attention of a certain, insignificant fencing captain…

"I was wondering why you grabbed an épée for practice today," Juri trailed, she should have known that the other girl was going to do something ridiculous and yet she didn't stop her.

"Juri, we're alone right now. Call me what you used to call me," the injured girl whispered into Juri's ear hoping to torture the proud captain with her unrequited love.

"Our relationship now isn't like it was in the past. The level of familiarity between us has greatly diminished and so I feel no need to treat you any differently from any other student…"

"Is that why we're here now? Don't lie, Juri, especially to me, it's not befitting." Juri would always belong to her, whether she liked to or not.

"When did you start…" Juri asked, hoping to change the topic as she curiously glanced at the various wounds that marred the once beautiful skin. She traced some of the faded scars winding around Shiori's calves, the ones that seemed as though her leg was constricted by a thorny rose vine.

"Oh this? I hope you're not thinking that I'm doing it because I'm wallowing in misery. If anything, these scars, these wounds are to hurt you. How honored you must feel, that the only way for you to be hurt is that I must be hurt. We're both in pain now…" though her exterior showed no emotion, Shiori suspected that her beloved Juri was crumbling.

Juri chuckled before she slapped the other girl across the face, "You're pathetic." Something had changed…

"Show it to me," Shiori cried out in desperation. Why was Juri not reacting like how she expected her to? Why was she clearly tugging on the leash she had on her pitiful pet and there was no response?

"What?" Juri asked feigning ignorance.

"The locket, I want to see that disgusting picture of me you have in there. Show it to me! Show it now!" Shiori grabbed at the orange collar of Juri's fencing uniform.

Juri touched her chest where the locket was supposed to lay. "I don't have it anymore; it's no longer a part of me."

"What? What do you mean! You… Prove it!" Calmly, Juri unbuttoned the first button of her uniform to reveal her neck area. Her collar bones were visible to the point that they seemed to be jutting out. It was an indication of the lack of proper nourishment these last couple months. With such as busy schedule as the captain of the Fencing Club and being part of the Student Council, there had been times Juri forgot to eat. Shiori almost wanted to cry that her beautiful, tortured lover too was abusing herself.

Her eyes traveled lower and just as Juri said there was no necklace. With disbelief, Shiori's fingertips hesitantly touched the area where the locket once laid. Traveling upward, her fingers traced over the prominent collar bones before following up the curve of Juri's neck and continuing until her hand lay upon Juri's cheek. She looked into those blue eyes and felt horrified by her own inability to read her old friend. The deep cerulean eyes were swallowing her up leaving her dazed in a shrouded mist of unfamiliarity. She no longer had control over Juri. What just happened? And to her own face, Shiori reached to touch the droplet of moisture that slipped out, a drop of her sanity flushing away from her body.

"When…"

"When I knew that not loving you would be a better decision for the both of us."

And now Shiori was back to square one, inferior to the mighty Juri who was once again beat her in the rise of emotions. The despicable, orange-haired girl was victorious in being the first to reject and dismiss past feelings between them. Terrified, she let go of Juri's face as though it burnt her.

"If there is no further discussion Takatsuki-san, I suggest you go to the nurse and have these cuts treated. Then go back to your room where you may rest. I still have an hour or so of practice to complete…" and with that the girl with the curly locks left leaving dismal Shiori all by her lonesome. If there was anything that Juri learnt as captain of the Fencing Club, it was that any argument was much like fencing. There were two sides, who both struggled to gain the upper hand. Like fencing, a person had to wait for the perfect opportunity to parry the attack and surprise the offense with a retaliation of her own. Shiori's attempts to "break" Juri were much like her fencing techniques – sloppy and uncoordinated. She threw too many attacks at once, not knowing where they went, but only hoping that it would hit somewhere. Juri, on the other hand, knew too much about her opponent to let that tactic ever work on her again. She would successfully evade and block each attempt and when she got too tired of their little game, she would finish it once and for all with a proper and intricate attack that would leave the other completely baffled.

Shiori stared at the handkerchief that was now in her hands to press against her wound. Removing it, she brought it to her face to wipe away her tears, ignoring the fact that her own blood would now mingle with her tears. For some reason, the feeling bubbling in her heart was the absolute worse feeling that she ever had.

"So this is how it feels Juri… to be in love."

~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~

Standing in the rose garden, Juri is distracted by the flower's beauty.

"It's a shame. Every time I try to hold a rose, I am at first hurt by its thorns…" she muttered to no one in particular.

"That's because senpai, you're not holding it in the right areas. It has thorns, but not everywhere. Besides they're easy to remove with the right equipment, see?" the person handed her a perfectly white rose with its thorns completely removed. Juri, however, had no intention of modifying a rose just so it could be more easily touched. She rather enjoyed the pain it caused, it gave her a challenge.

"How charming of you, Utena…" she stated as she smelled the white rose before tossing it nonchalantly aside.

"I didn't expect to see you here. What brings you here anyway?" It was true, Juri usually had no business with the rose garden. Utena, on the other hand, seemed to visit it daily as though it were some religious site.

"Just thinking…" she wasn't going to share her problems with the girl who believed she could revolutionize the world. Utena seemed to notice this too.

"Well, it's a good thing I did bump into you. I was walking down the hall earlier and someone told me to give this to you. I wonder how they knew I was going to see you…" it was an ordinary white box that could effortlessly fit in the palm on one's hand. Obligatorily, she handed the package to its rightful owner.

Although Juri doesn't explicitly show it, Utena can tell the parcel must have some meaning for the aloof captain. In fact she could almost see a smile gracing upon Juri's features.

"I bet you protected it with your life…" a joke on the part of Utena's princely ways.

"Um… well,"

"Thank you…. Utena.." she turned to walk back to her room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In her room, Juri closes the door and collapses on her bed, exhausted from today's events. From the pocket of her pants, she fishes out the white box. Silently, she opens the box taking out the familiar golden object dangling on a new beautiful silver chain. There was a small parchment attached to the inside of the cover of the box.

"Be more careful with your belongings. I know this chain isn't the same as your old one, but that kind is no longer in stock. I also repaired the glass that holds that picture of yours. Don't worry I didn't harm it in any way. I know how special it is to you."

Smiling, she traced the locket's center, which was carved into an exquisite rose. And though she already knows what lies beyond the magnificent treasure chest, Juri takes her time to slowly open the locket and gaze longingly at the monochromatic picture of a girl looking to her left.

"Ah, Shiori, how cruel we can be to one another."

* * *

Author's Note: I should probably mention that I have minimal experience with fencing... I played a bit during college, but I was an épée and not sabre or foil. I'm going to assume that Ohtori has all three. And in case people didn't know, in épée you're allowed to strike (in a stabbing way) any part of the body and it counts for a point. This is different from foil (which is a stabbing weapon that only allows torso) and sabre (which is a slashing weapon that only allows upper body). So that's where my knowledge of fencing comes in, if I'm wrong I'm really sorry for the error. This is just a one-shot that I wrote for fun after suddenly having an interest in JurixShiori again. Thanks for reading!


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